Rebecca King Crews Reveals Parkinson’s Diagnosis, New Procedure Helps

Rebecca King Crews has quietly lived with Parkinson’s for years, first noticing small signs in 2012 and receiving a diagnosis in 2015, and her story highlights how early-onset cases can be missed, what symptoms to watch for, and new noninvasive treatments now available for movement symptoms.

Parkinson’s usually hits older adults, but a notable minority develop symptoms before age 50, and that difference changes how the disease looks and how people cope with it. Rebecca King Crews, now 60, says she began noticing problems more than a decade ago and only later learned what was behind the tremors and numbness. Her experience shows how easy it can be for early signs to be waved off as stress or anxiety rather than treated as neurological warning signs.

She described how she first felt “some slight numbness” in her left foot, and that a trainer noticed reduced arm swing when she walked. “Then I woke up one morning and my hand was shaking,” she recalled. “I said, ‘Now that’s a tremor,’ because my grandmother had tremors. So I went to the doctor, and he told me, ‘Oh, you’re having anxiety, you’ll be fine.'”

Misdiagnosis is common in early stages because Parkinson’s can start with non-motor issues that don’t immediately scream neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Joel Salinas warned that Parkinson’s “often announces itself subtly.” He also noted, “Many people don’t realize how many non-motor symptoms can appear early, sometimes even before the movement issues: changes in handwriting (getting smaller and more cramped), reduced sense of smell, sleep disturbances, constipation, and a soft or monotone voice,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Statistics underscore that early-onset Parkinson’s is uncommon but real, with only a small percentage of cases appearing under age 40 and roughly four percent beginning before 50. Overall prevalence is rising, with over a million Americans living with Parkinson’s and that number expected to grow in the coming years. Those with young-onset forms often face different challenges and a different disease tempo than older patients.

Young-onset patients tend to experience more dystonia, those involuntary muscle contractions that show up in specific body parts, and they report more involuntary movements tied to treatment effects. At the same time, they often have a slower cognitive decline and can remain “cognitively intact” for many years, which changes how long-term care and life planning are handled. That slower progression can be a silver lining, but it does not make early detection any less important.

Researchers still do not know a single cause for Parkinson’s, and young-onset cases are “slightly more likely” to involve genetic factors. Environmental risks like pesticide exposure and head trauma have also been linked in studies, so clinicians often look at a mix of family history, work exposures, and past injuries when evaluating younger patients. Prevention remains elusive, but ongoing research is narrowing where to look next.

Exercise has emerged as one of the most practical tools patients can use, with “strong evidence” suggesting it may slow progression and preserve function. Medications and therapies remain the backbone of symptom control, but innovations are changing the options available to those with advanced motor symptoms. Advocates stress that patients should press for specialist evaluation because treatment candidates and timing matter.

One of the newest options is a bilateral-focused ultrasound therapy that uses Exablate Neuro to target movement-related brain regions under MRI guidance, treating both sides of the brain in separate procedures. The FDA approved the therapy in July 2025 to treat both sides, six months apart, and experts called it a “meaningful advance” for the right patients. “It is non-invasive (no incisions, no risk of surgical bleeding), which makes it an appealing option compared to deep brain stimulation for patients who qualify,” one specialist said.

While focused ultrasound is not a cure, it expands the menu of interventions for motor symptoms and can be attractive for people who want non-surgical alternatives. The procedure can be costly and coverage is inconsistent, so patients often need to advocate with insurers and consult movement disorder specialists about eligibility and timing. Physicians encourage informed conversations because availability and candidacy are changing as the technology spreads.

King Crews’ story is a reminder that early signs deserve attention and that the landscape for Parkinson’s treatment is evolving quickly. “Don’t suffer in silence – get to a specialist and stay engaged with what’s coming, because the landscape is changing fast.”